Assembly of First Nations Chief RoseAnne Archibald is welcoming the Pope’s announcement to visit Canada, but hopes he commits to reparations while here.
On the request of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Pope Francis will be visiting meeting with Indigenous leaders in late December, and coming to Canada sometime after.
Chief Archibald is pleased that the trip will complete one Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action, but reiterates that the Church must take responsibility for the intergenerational harm they caused.
She is calling for the Pope to make reparations, to return church owned land back to Indigenous peoples, and to make a investment in long-term healing solutions beyond the 30 million announced for survivors of the Residential School system.
A final request asks for the Pope to formally revoke the 1493 Doctrine of Discovery and replace it with a policy that recognizes Indigenous cultures as valuable.
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